Camprodón, Spain

"Camprodón, Spain," created by John Singer Sargent in 1892, is a masterful example of the artist’s dedication to watercolor as a primary artistic medium. Classified as a drawing, the work skillfully employs both transparent and opaque watercolor (gouache) on wove paper, reflecting Sargent’s energetic and precise approach to capturing light and atmosphere. This piece belongs firmly to the period of 1876 to 1900, a highly productive era when the American expatriate painter traveled extensively across Europe and North Africa, generating hundreds of compelling, spontaneous studies away from the rigors of formal portraiture.

Sargent’s travels through Spain yielded many light-drenched sketches, often focusing on architectural forms and the dramatic effects of strong southern sunlight. While the subject depicts a structural view within the Catalan town of Camprodón, the primary artistic interest lies in the manipulation of texture and luminosity. Sargent utilizes the thin, sweeping washes of transparent watercolor to define the broad planes of light and shadow, allowing the white of the paper to function as the brightest highlights. Conversely, he strategically applies opaque pigment to build up defining elements, adding sharp highlights and structural integrity to the building edges, creating a vibrant contrast essential to the composition.

As one of the most celebrated American artists of his time, Sargent played a crucial role in elevating watercolor from a traditional sketching medium to an independent artistic form. The vitality and immediacy present in Camprodón, Spain highlight why these travel watercolors became highly sought after by collectors. The drawing currently resides in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, serving as a key document of Sargent's technical prowess and reflecting the aesthetic tastes of late 19th-century American art patrons. High-quality prints of such historically significant works help ensure the continued accessibility of this important body of work.